The deeds of 9-11 Gold Street identify owners from 1779, as well as some tenants. They also show that in 1871 the building was a single residence which included a butchers shop. By 1912 the butchers shop had gone, but the building provided a home for two families. This conversion was probably done by Richard Branson who was a builder and who owned the property from 1884 to 1900. By 1962, it was one house again, and the conversion had “only recently been completed”.

The diagram to the right is taken from a map of 1999. The area included with the property, marked in red, does not seem to have changed since 1871.
The following are taken from earlier maps.

From map of 1779

From map of 1818

The survey of 1818 shows the plot 222 belonging to John Adams Senior, and describes it as: Four Tenements and Gardens.

The survey document accompanying the 1779 map describes plot 642 belonging to Benjamin Lever as: A house and Homestead and Small Close at Church End (the whole village was referred to as Church End at this period)

So it appears that either Benjamin Lever or John Adams were able to purchase the neighbouring plot (No. 641 on the 1779 map) and combine it with plot No. 642. The house on plot 641 was separated with much less land in the sale that took place in 1871 (see below). This plot is now occupied by 7 Gold Street.

The deeds provide the following information.

Date	Type of document	Details
Before 1871		The earliest deed contains a rehearsal of earlier owners as follows: Benjamin Lever (who is shown as owner on the 1779 map above) Benjamin was a lace merchant. His wife was Elizabeth, and they seem to have had 14 children Mary Lever Mary is most likely wife of Joseph Lever, and daughter-in-law of Benjamin and Elizabeth. Her maiden name was Crick. John Adams the elder, shown as owner in the 1818 map above There is a John Adams who was living in Church End, wife Mary and a butcher according to the records of christening of his children from 1818 to 1828. He died in 1833. John Adams the younger There is a John Adams born in 1818, son of John and Mary Adams. He was recorded as a labourer when he married in 1838, and later as a general dealer in the censuses. However, the census records do not seem to place him as living in 9/11 Gold Street.. Robert Allen, carpenter Robert Allen the carpenter seems also to have been a renovator of properties. There is a record of his being an owner of 2 The Green sometime before 1888. His wife, Sarah was a widow with previous family name Adams, but there seems no trace of her previous husband. She was born in Stoke Goldington, so her marriages may have been there. Robert Allen died on 30/1/1871; his will dated 27/8/1867, was proved on 31/3/1871. His executors were Henry Cox, carpenter and Joseph Hutchings the younger, Maltster who arranged to sale.
20/7/1871	Conveyance to William Keen, basket maker	The sale was by auction at the Watts Arms on 8/5/1871. This property was Lot 1. At least two other adjoining properties which had belonged to Robert Allen were sold as separate lots. Lot 2 appears to have been the tenements situated where 7 Gold Street is today, and was sold to William Allen Lot 3 seems to have been the rest of the plot, which is described as an “orchard of pightle”, and was sold to Thomas Higgins. The property is described as follows: “All that Messuage or Tenement with Butchers Shop Barns Stables Yards Gardens outbuildings and appurtenances to the same belonging and appertaining situate standing and being in Gold Street in the Parish of Hanslope” .... followed by rehearsal of former owners and tenants (above) …. “Together with the strip of Land or Ground as staked or set-out to form a Road from the Yard and Buildings at the back of and belonging to the said Messuage into Gold Street aforesaid and being of the width of Eleven feet or thereabouts at the end thereof next the said Street and running between the Cottages and gardens sold by the said Henry Cox and Joseph Hutchings the younger and intended to be conveyed to William Allen and the orchard or pightle sold by them and intended to be conveyed to Thomas Higgins being respectively Lots 2 and 3 in the said Particulars of Sale”
21/7/1871	Mortgage to James Atkins	The property was mortgaged to James Atkins of Potterspury for £230.
9/5/1884	Conveyance to Richard Branson	It appears that the mortgage was in arrears, and Henry Atkins, eldest son and heir of James Atkins put the property up for auction, again at the Watts Arms. Richard Branson purchased for £500.
31/12/1900	Conveyance to Robert William Bavington of Castlethorpe, coal merchant	Richard Branson died on 5/8/1895. His will was dated 27/2/1894, and was proved on 19/9/1895 by his sons Lovell Warren Branson and George Thomas Branson in the Oxford District registry. The conveyance shows the seller as George Thomas Branson of East Grinstead in Sussex, boot maker.
16/1/1912	Conveyance to Mrs Elizabeth Bavington wife of John Bavington	Elizabeth Bavington was daughter-in-law to Robert Bavington and from time to time lent him money which over the years totalled £250. The property was transferred to settle this debt. Elizabeth married John Bavington in Hanslope on 25 December 1871. Her maiden name was Stanton. The Castlethorpe web site has a page devoted to the John and Elizabeth Bavington, with photographs of them and their extensive family, including Mabel (see below). The description of the property included the following: “two messuages or tenements (one of which was formerly used as a butchers shop but has recently been converted into a private dwelling house) with barn. …. Formerly in the occupation of Henry Newbury and F Whatton, but now of George Herbert and Walter White” (F Whatton is probably Frederic Whatton who is recorded in the 1901 census as living in Gold Street in a dwelling with 3 rooms. At that time he was aged 26 and had a wife and two children under 2.)
11/1/1939	Conveyance to Mrs Mabel Panter	Mabel was the wife of Richard Panter and daughter of Elizabeth Bavington. In 1947 Elizabeth and Mabel were both living at Sunny View, Castlethorpe. At the date of the conveyance, the tenants were May Mills and Frederick White
15/5/1947	Conveyance to Arthur William Whitbread	Arthur Whitbread lived at 29 Gold Street. He purchased for £475, and took out a mortgage for £390 with The Wolverton (Bucks) Permanent Benefit Building Society, which seems later to have become part of Northampton Town and County Building Society. At the time of this conveyance, the tenants were: Frederick White and May Mills.
5/11/1962	Conveyance to Terence John Feeley	Mr Feeley had a London address. It is understood that he was a script writer of television series, and used the cottage as a weekend retreat. The property is described as follows: "All that messuage or dwellinghouse until recently two dwellinghouses with yards …together with the strip of land or ground which forms a road from the land and outbuildings at the rear and belonging to the said dwellinghouse to Gold Street and being of the width of eleven feet or thereabouts .."
26/5/1978	Conveyance to Rex and Jacqueline May	This is the first conveyance to contain a map.

Source of above information: Mostly from the deeds held by Rex and Jacqueline May, supplemented from census and church records available elsewhere on this web site.